"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Sunday, April 3, 2011

A good gardening weekend.

An unplanned and sport free weekend turned into a very fun one with friend and family time.  The weather was okay, at least Sunday was dry although breezy, cloudy and cold; I still managed to spend several hours outside doing some gardening.  Saturday a friend and I went to a talk at our local nursery on culinary herbs.  It was so interesting and I learned quite a bit.  Did you know that oregano (Origanum vulgare) is the culinary herb highest in antioxidants?  Many times higher than blueberries?  Or that Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) tea is helpful with anxiety or insomnia?  Or how about that Sage (Salvia officinalis) leaves can substitute for a toothbrush if you're without one?  Needless to say my friend and I went herb shopping right after the talk ended.
It seems that more and more nurseries are offering free seminars and now that I've been to one I can't wait to attend more.  Most nurseries have email newsletters that are free and let you know about upcoming classes.
When I returned home my husband and I decided to take our girls on the ferry to Whidbey Island to the town of Langley.  If you live around here and haven't taken a trip there yet it's definitely worth the drive, just over an hour from Seattle.  

I took one picture of Mukilteo from the ferry as we were leaving, and then forgot to take anymore pictures.  Next time I visit I'll share more.  There are several very nice nurseries there and we had time to stop at one called Bayview Farm and Garden.  We found a lot of nice plants with really great prices.  I expected it to be pricey since it's on the island, but found it to be cheaper than the nursery by us.

Sunday was spent planting the plants that have been accumulating in the front yard.  I've been reading books and blogs for ideas on how to plant our new front raised beds.  I don't really want rows of vegetables since it's our front yard, but more of a cottage looking garden with all edibles growing in it.  It's difficult to see what's going on in this big bed but so far there are several herbs, bush sugar snap peas and beets (neither sprouted yet), two types of lettuce and mustard greens (all sprouted this weekend), dahlia tubers are in the ground (I read that dahlias are edible!), garlic, onions, Violas, a blueberry bush, and more.  Lots more will be planted as the weather warms.

I planted Hyssop, Purple Sage and Pineapple Sage together.

We already have 6 Blueberry bushes, but why not have more?  The berries freeze very well.  We added one 'Sunshine Blue' in each raised bed.  They only get to about 3 feet tall, are evergreen, are self fertile, have pretty fall color and are supposed to bear quite a bit of fruit.

I'm using terra cotta pots for herbs like mint and lemon balm which like to take over a garden if given a chance.

In this bed are more herbs, dahlias, Violas and a Blueberry Bush.  I've also planted Sweet Peas (not edible) on the trellis but will replace them with Scarlet Runner Beans when the weather warms.

I've planted an artichoke plant in the container on the right.  It will eventually need a bigger space.

Things are beginning to fill in around the rest of the front yard.  Every day I find more surprises, today I found poppy seeds finally sprouting!

We had hoped to make Mason Bee homes today, but ran out of time.  That will be something to do on one of the rainy days coming up.  It sounds like we will have lots more rain this week.   I can't wait for a sunny warm week, but at least we were able to get out for awhile today.  I'm hoping that sometime this month we'll be able to get the fence painted.
Hope you all have some time to garden this weekend.
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress. Pin It

38 comments:

  1. Your yard is really looking great, keep up the good work!

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  2. Everything looks great! I'm so impressed with all you got done. It seems like I just started reading about your endeavor. Have fun filling the beds. I think your ideas are great. Also I forgot to say I love the Forsythia peeking over your fence. It looks like it wants in. Have fun!

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  3. Thank you for the link on Whitby Island and the city of Langley. I would love to visit there some day! Your yard is really coming along nicely!

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  4. Hi Catherine, You could try planting your veggies is the square foot method, instead of rows plant them in squares. The weather was enough this weekend, I was out in the front garden cutting back the ornamental grasses. I would also like a sunny warm week, but rain is in store for this week. April showers bring May flowers:)

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  5. Wow! Those raised beds are alot longer than I first thought! So much more space to garden in!

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  6. It's just AMAZING what all you've done in such a short time! We have a friend that lives in Langley part-time and will be staying with him after the Seattle fling for several days!

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  7. You are much tougher than me. Its still much too cold for me to get out and garden. :) I did spend 90 minutes outside at my son's first baseball game on Saturday. :)

    Good job on those raised beds!

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  8. Catherine,

    We just planted an artichoke today. Thank for the offer of the hellebore seeds or babies. I have lots of babies of the reds, pinks and whites. At the top right of my page there is a link to all of our hellebore blooms, the ones listed with babies I'd be more than happy to send you some if you have room that is.

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  9. I love the idea of mixing ornamentals and edibles in those raised beds. There are a lot of pretty spotted lettuces that would look good there.

    I would love some day to go to Whidbey Island. I noticed that a lot of private gardens on Bainbridge Island are going to be on the Garden Conservancy's Open Days in June, I think, including Little and Lewis. I'm thinking I might go to that.

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  10. Catherine, gardening with herbs is so much fun, isn't it? I love that you are growing blueberry bushes and wondering what the yield will be. The raised beds are truly looking great and it is so exciting that you are starting to fill them with plants! I am quite fascinated by your idea of growing edibles together with ornamental plants getting the "real" cottage garden look!
    Christina

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  11. Oh! you went to Langley! How cool! Now you've got me jazzed to learn more about herbs..I have a few growing intermixed with my flowers but I want MORE! and sadly have no room. So, I will live vicariously through your NW neighbor :) Have a great week, your front gardens are looking good!

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  12. I have never heard of Langley except in BC...how do you keep your gravel paths weed free?
    I need to know as mine are growing weeds like mad!
    Hostess
    XO

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  13. what lovely looking raised bedsyour garden is so pretty i love the side path and pond.

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  14. Your raised beds and garden look great, love the raised beds. I've never heard dahlia's are edible. Calendula and nasturtium flower petals are edible so they could be added into your beds? All the best, Kelli.

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  15. A lot is going on in your garden and lot more rainy days???!!! Wow! I'd love that here :D

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  16. Happy you got outside for a bit and played in the soil. Your front area and raised beds look so nice Catherine. My poppies have flowers buds on them already.

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  17. Catherine ~ I sure love what you have done with your front yard. Just wait until everything fills in and blooms or bears fruit and veggies. WOW. You'll be the envy of the neighborhood.

    Happy Spring and Happy Gardening,

    FlowerLady

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  18. What a great scene with the water and the homes along the shore. It sounds like a wonderful nursery.

    You have really accomplished a lot of work on the fence and garden beds, can't wait to see all of the plantings.

    Eileen

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  19. Looks great, Catherine. I hope you'll be careful with the lemon balm. Don't let it go to seed or you'll have it everywhere and because it is deep-rooted, it is difficult to pull. You're smart to have it in a container. Anyway, your front yard looks as awesome as your backyard.

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  20. It sounds as though you had a great weekend all round and that garden of yours is starting to look really 'settled' with all the new additions. Super pictures! And so nice to see your sweet little dog out there, safely enjoying the front garden with you now, too! The water and sky looked very chilly on the day you took the ferry...Brrrr! Thanks for sharing what you learnt about those 3 herbs from the nursery talk.

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  21. We visited Whidbey Island a few years ago and it was magical. My girls were eating fistfuls of blueberries this weekend, but they were from Costco and not our own bush. I think blueberries would require a lot of help here, since our soil isn't acidic enough to make them happy. How nice that your sweet pea can eat them off the bush!

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  22. Glad you had a dry weekend to work in. Everything is coming together so nicely. I love your tulips in the basket Catherine.

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  23. Catherine everything is looking soooooo good. In fact I just brought Bob in here to show him all that you have done AND that you just have done it this year inbetween floods! ;-) Yes, definitely keep an eye on that Lemon Balm. Someone gave me some years ago and we're still trying to get rid of it. I wasn't warned though and planted it in the bed. Hopefully it won't jump out of the container LOL. I see you mentioned your Dahlias are planted. I want to get to mine but just can't be out in this cold weather yet and we've still got water laying everywhere in the yard. If it doesn't dry up I'm just going to have to go out anyway and do some things.
    I'm so excited to see yours as it progresses because it is all looking so great!!!

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  24. Your garden is looking wonderful Catherine! I grew Hyssop in our herb beds last year, the bees went crazy for it! I'm sorry you're still getting so much dreary weather though, I hope spring decides to show up soon, and bring some much needed sunshine to your garden. Can't wait to see your Mason Bee house project!

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  25. What a fun sounding weekend! Oh, I love to learn about the different herbs - thanks for sharing such interesting info. Glad you had some family time too. The photo from the ferry is beautiful. Hope you have a very nice week.

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  26. Catherine, what's in the pot left of the artichoke plant with the striped leaves? A tulip? All those new garden beds are a gardener's dream!

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  27. Catherine - I don't think there are any pink crocus for spring, though many of the colchicums are pink for fall. I did see some mini, early pink tulips in Brent & Becky's catalog - 'Helena' and 'Lilac Wonder'. Maybe they'd give you the look you're wanting, early in the season.

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  28. That ferry picture is so pretty. Gosh I'm jealous we don't have anything like that here. The raised beds are looking great. I'm with you-you can't have too many blueberries.

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  29. Those raised bed are going to be beautiful..We used to deliver on Widby Island...it is absolutely beautiful up that way.

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  30. I have "front yard envy", Catherine. I will enjoy watching yours mature. Your outing sounds very enjoyable. Even the names Whitbey Island and Langley sound romantic!

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  31. Sounds like a wonderful weekend! I often see clients on Saturdays, plus this is garden show season, so I've only managed one day of gardening in the past month (though that hasn't stopped me from buying plants of course). My twentieth wedding anniversary is coming up, and when my husband asked how I wanted to celebrate, I replied "gardening."

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  32. Well your garden is looking great! Our weather has been so crappy I haven't been able to get out much. But soon, I hope.

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  33. Sounds like the family had a good day going to the island. I know its good just to be outdoors. Your front gardens are coming along now. I was looking at your previous post and the back is really popping now. The walkway is beginning to fill in now with some pretty color. Hope your having a good day Catherine.

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  34. Envious of the herb talk. I really like learning more about herbs. I keep all of mine in containers on the deck as I have male dogs (!).
    When we went to Monticello I saw some of the artichokes that Mr. Jefferson had...they are certainly architectural in the garden!

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  35. You have a great garden! beautiful plants and a lot of work.

    greetings from Uruguay

    Carola

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  36. Catherine - have you thought of framing that 1st photo? With the sun reflecting on the water and the scenery - it would enlarge so well. Then it could be part of your own personal photo gallery in your home! (Just a thought...) :)

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  37. Herbs in the garden are just great. Your herb talk day sounded so informative. I love it when my herbs flower... so do our bees. Lemon balm is so refreshing as a tea. White Thyme is what I use as a hardy groundcover.
    That is a very dramatic photo you took from the ferry :D)

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  38. You've made a great start on the front garden. It will be very interesting to watch it grow and fill in. I'm sure it will be beautiful.

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